


David Hates Assumptions

by Politics_and_Newsies



Category: Newsies (1992), Newsies - All Media Types, Newsies!: the Musical - Fierstein/Menken
Genre: Canon Era, David Jacobs-centric, M/M, Oblivious David Jacobs, One Shot, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, idiot boys that mayhaps are gay?, sort of a 5+1?, this is really fluffy just read it
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-17
Updated: 2020-07-17
Packaged: 2021-03-04 19:55:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,983
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25322002
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Politics_and_Newsies/pseuds/Politics_and_Newsies
Summary: David Jacobs really hates assumptions - a compilation of times throughout his life that he has hated them, and one time that he really loved them
Relationships: David Jacobs/Jack Kelly, Spot Conlon/Racetrack Higgins (minor)
Comments: 8
Kudos: 67





	David Hates Assumptions

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first ever fic I've posted! And I've been reading fanfiction since 2012 so this is big for me! Oh this is exciting 
> 
> Please give comments/kudos if you enjoyed it. Constructive criticism is also welcome :)
> 
> Here we go!!!
> 
> (Does anyone actually read the notes?  
> also, I really love Davey)

If there is one thing that David Jacobs hates, it’s assumptions. He seems to find them prejudiced, rude and presumptuous all at once. All his life people have assumed things about him, either that he was pretentious because he goes to school, or a street-bum because he works as a newsie; neither of which are true. 

He’s just Davey. 

One such assumption made Davey particularly mad: just because David is tall does not mean that he is not steady on his feet. 

He’s 17-years-old and above average height, and many above-average-height-17-year-old boys don’t know where their limbs go, so many people give Davey a wide berth. What they don’t know is that he’s actually surprisingly agile, because as a child he was gangly and didn’t know where his limbs went. After some introspection he decided to never be like that again, and tries his best to be nimble. He succeeded pretty well. 

There’s one small problem: Jack. 

Now, around Jack, Davey’s constantly tripping over his words and feet. He’s usually so sure of himself, but around Jack he becomes another person.

One day, Race said, “We should’a named ya Strawberry, instead’a Davey! Hey Jacky, dun’ Davey go so red sometimes” 

“Shut up Racer, I’m not that red” David replied, while turning more red as Jack looked over to his conversation. It was too late; Jack was coming over. David didn’t want Jack to come over. 

“Hey, hey now Race, Davey’s not red like a Strawberry, ‘e’s more like a Tomato, inn’ that right Davey?” Jack said with a smirk on his face

“Shut up Jack” 

Now, Davey didn’t really know why he turned red so much around Jack, or why he constantly feels nervous around him. That afternoon, he remembers his friend from 7th grade named Suzie, who explained what having a ‘crush’ was like.  
She said that it’s the best and worst feeling in the world, like you’re constantly on a cliff ready to jump, but it’s such an exhilarating feeling you never want to stop. Davey had never felt this emotion until today, when he reflected on why he was constantly stumbling. 

Shit. Davey liked Jack. And there was nothing he could do. Davey decided to keep his feelings to himself. 

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________  
Another assumption that David hates is when people stare into his hazel eyes, because ‘brown hair and your gorgeous hazel eyes are so unique!’ Even though he knows that it’s not really that unique. 

He knows. This has been going on since he was 5 and people started noticing his ‘amazing eyes!’ Almost every new person Davey meets says something about his eyes. It’s always about trying to decipher what colour his eyes are, usually coming to one conclusion, either brown or blue, usually agreeing to disagree on the colour. He can’t count the times that people have stared creepily into his eyes, and it’s becoming annoying. 

Romeo says that one day Davey will woo a beautiful girl with his beautiful eyes, ever the stupid romantic. Davey is pretty sure he doesn’t want that. 

One day on top of the Newsboy’s lodge Jack asks him if he can paint them, and a little taken aback, Davey answers abruptly “Why? They’re not anything special” 

“What?!” Jack’s offended voice filled the space between them “they’s amazin’! I understand if ya don’ wan’ me ta paint 'em, but, honest Davey, they’s the most pretty eyes I’s ever seen.” 

David eventually agreed, but this meant an about hour of Jack looking into his eyes, like he was reading his soul, like he was invested in reading Davey’s deepest feelings. Normally, this made Davey feel like he wants to dig a hole and die in it, this Jack’s gaze made Davey feel like the most special and stunning person on earth. 

Davey doesn’t really mind this at all. 

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________  
David is at the age were boys are finding girlfriends and planning to marry them. Therefore, his family and friends assume that he’s going to find a nice girl, date and marry her. This assumption possibly could be the worst of them all, and it terrifies Davey. 

The very idea that he would settle down and marry a nice girl makes him uncomfortable, because he knows that is not how it is going to play out, and he doesn’t want that nice girl to be stuck with him. Poor hypothetical nice girl. 

Davey did have a girlfriend in 8th grade, but it didn’t work out. He couldn’t even remember her name. He held her hand, went on dates and gave her flowers; he did all the things a good boyfriend would do. Davey even took her to the joint-school graduation dance way back in 1895, when it was assumed that he would. At the dance he kissed her because it seemed like the right thing to do. 

It wasn’t. It was more… gross. Davey knows that first kisses are never the best, but it was all lip-pot rouge and saliva. It was gross. 

This is why Davey knows that he will probably be a bachelor indefinitely. 

What makes David really melancholy is when people assume that Jack will marry Katherine one day. It makes sense, those two, and Davey really wants Jack to be happy and he seems happiest with Kath. It’s not like Davey doesn’t like Kath; he really loves her, but the thought that Jack is going to marry her makes Davey sad, angry and disappointed all at once.

It also doesn’t help that their relationship is a constant reminder that Jack will never feel the same way about Davey than he does with Kath. 

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________  
The worst assumption of them all is that Jack’s in love with Kath. 

It comes up once when both boys were talking on the rooftop together, when David asked, “how’s everything going with Kath?” 

Jack shrugged and said “Good. I’m real glad we’s still friends, aft’a everythin that happened, ya know, between me and her.” 

Davey thought he understood where Jack was coming from “I agree. You two go well together. I’m glad you’re going strong”. It was a stilted response: it still hurt for Davey to think about the two of them, and he really knows what he meant in his heart of hearts. 

“I mean, it did take a bit for her ta forgive me” Jack shrugged, almost melancholic. “But I wouldn’t wish it any otha’ ways” 

Now Davey was confused. “Why would Kath need to forgive you? You’re the perfect boyfriend!” Jack looked at Davey like he’d grown a second head 

“Davey… We ain’t together anymore. I though' ya knew”. David was incredulous. 

“But you were gonna be married! Everyone says so.” Jack pursed his lips, frowned and shook his head. 

“Not everyone. Not me. I hurt her pretty bad in the strike, and we was like a, whats’it?”. Jack looked around confused, trying to find the right metaphor. “A matchflame. Nah, that can’t be it…. A matchstick! Yeah, we was like a matchstick. Caught on pretty easy wit’ some friction, but we’s wasn’t made ta last”. This surprised Davey, and this gave him a tiny amount of hope, but he quickly quashed it: he knows that Jack doesn’t like Davey that way. 

“Sorry Jacky, that sounds like it hurt a lot.” David knows that Jack really did love Kath, but he was still confused about why he never really grieved the loss of her. “I just assumed you were still dating ‘cause you still have your signature far-off look. You had it when you were thinking about Santa Fe, and Kath. You look like you’re dreaming of a meeting of lovers, like sweethearts.”  
Davey was right when he said that: he knows that look. He often wished it was about him. 

Jack smiles at Davey knowingly and says “Wowzer. You sure knows me in an’ out, but did it ev’a occur ta ya that I had’a love fa someone else?”  
David, indeed, had not thought of that

“No. I always thought it was Kath. You never told me you broke up! You never even looked sad.” David replied indignantly. “Why didn’t you tell me that you broke up?” 

“It was on’ly a couple’a weeks ago, an’ ta keep it secret, ‘cause I knows ya was gonna freak out, like now”. Jack was right; David was freaking out. “D’ya wanna know who theys are, my sweetheart?”

Now David was angry. Didn’t him and Jack share everything? “Of course, I want to know! Only if you wish to deign that important information upon my poor soul. But will I have to put up with the mushy love talk of this mysterious person after this?” Davey asked, defensively, voice filled with sarcasm. 

“Alright. Only if ya really wanna know” 

Jack surges forward and grabs Davey by the shirt and kisses his lips hard. It’s unpractised, but so, so good. It felt like those fireworks David’s parents went to see when he was 7. So very, very loud but mesmerising. However, David can’t fully appreciate the kiss because his usually quick brain is short-circuiting, thinking only ‘What the hell? No, no, Jack doesn’t like me. Oh god this feels good. What?’ on repeat. 

“Davey?” Jack’s voice breaks David’s confused inner monologue “You alright there Davey? Oh god, I’s so so sorry, did I ruin it? Please say somethin’”

“Don’t you like someone else?” David’s small voice questioned 

“I likes you, Davey” 

With those words David’s brain freezes, even worse than before. He stares at Jack’s lips; those lips he would so dearly like to kiss again. He sits and stares, trying so hard to form words to respond. 

“Dave, you okay pal? I knows ya may not like me, but I was jus’ doin’ somethin’ I wanted ta do. Davey, please respond, yous makin’ me worried”

“I like you too Jack” David finally finds the words to say. “I like you too” he repeats, Jack now the one gaping at him like a fish. 

“Wha’? ya don’ have’ta say dat jus’ ‘cause I kissed ya” 

“But I want to” David said purposefully 

Davey leans forward for a second time and cradles Jack’s face. He kisses him, cutting off the flow of words from Jack’s mouth. It was awkward and a bit messy, but they quickly figured out what to do. Jack kept kissing Davey as he backed him into the wall behind them. grabbed Davey by the waist and sucked on Davey’s bottom lip. Davey happily reciprocated and grabbed the base of Jack’s neck to pull him closer. Once out of breath, Jack pulled away, leaving Davey’s lips red and raw, and Davey wanting more. 

David was the first to speak “that was…”

“Fantastic” Jack finished, and leaned in for a third time

“No, no. Jack, I want to talk about this.” Jack looked crestfallen and pulled away

“’s they much ta say? Ya cute Davey. I likes ya” 

God, Davey could hear Jack say that again and again. “Jack, what does this make us?” 

“Ya said it before Davey, sweethearts. Steady like” 

“Steady like? Jacky, that sounds great”

Davey leaned in again, and was so happy to have the freedom to do finally what he had wanted for so long

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________  
Now, even though Davey hates most assumptions, if he and Jack hold hands in the company of other newsies and are friendlier than friends in the Duane St. Newsboy lodging, the other newsies can make all the assumption they want about them. 

Even if Race wolf-whistles one too many times, Jack and Davey know he can’t talk: him and Spot have run off one too many times to be called normal friends. 

Even if Romeo waggles his eyebrows too many times, Jack and Davey won’t even want to soak him on the arm, they know he means well

Jack and Davey know that they’re a happy couple, and that’s the best assumption anyone can make


End file.
